Today this paper reveals that shoplifting offences in London have risen by almost half — 48 per cent — in the past year. But the alarming reality is that it’s not even the full picture. There were 55,860 shoplifting offences recorded across London last year, nearly double the 25 per cent rise nationally. But the police only bother to investigate offences worth £200 or more. So, given that 3,462 of the London crimes were solved (just six per cent) we can assume that far more offences were committed with complete impunity.
Where does that leave small shopkeepers who work on tight margins? The answer is that many don’t bother reporting shoplifters to the police at all: nine in 10 cases are unreported. This means that actual losses to London retailers last year may have amounted to £110 million. This is not victimless crime. For one thing, the rest of us will have to pay for the losses in increased prices. Some shopkeepers are so demoralised they give up working.
